Entanglement of the Spirit
by Black Thorns and Red Roses
Summary: Two souls, two different paths. A boy and a girl both tell their story: one of determination and hardship.  DeidaraOC
1. Memory Lane

**Memory Lane**

A diaphanous layer of white fog met green tree tops miles down to the mountain's end. Clear moisture droplets touched my skin as I traveled. The higher elevations of lightning country were always moist and cool. Heat waves weren't very common this high in the mountains, which is why shorts and tank-tops weren't a very popular fashion statement. While descending down the mountain with the rest of our group, I took it upon myself to venture a safe distance away from our carriage. There was a particular spot I remembered on my last visit to my home village, a ten-story tree that towered above the rest of the forest. I could see it in the distance not far off from our camp sight, and was growing more excited by the second as we neared my desired destination. After we were done setting up camp, I'd go and spend the rest of my evening atop the highest possible branch, far away from any pool of society.

An orphan since I was four, memories of my birth parents are foggy and mostly forgotten. My foster parents usually kept me for a few months, and then would pass me on to another family. Life was harder for me than most people at such a young age, but it made me a stronger person in the process. I wanted to impress my foster families in hope that one of them would adopt me as their own, and as a result enrolled in the ninja academy. The internal life source discussed daily, chakra, fascinated me to new and endless heights. Teachers didn't need to give me further instructions. I was the first in my class to successfully connect with my inner chakra source. However, my control over my chakra reserves was more of a curse than a blessing. My teachers were frightened about the masses of chakra I seemed to withstand. They had asked me questions about the flow of my chakra—how it felt, and characteristics of its behavior. "Does it hurt?" They would ask. "Are you feeling alright?" Being six at the time, I barely could register their questions. All the commotion and dilemmas were a foreign language to me. I still couldn't believe I answered any of their questions.

"It doesn' hwurt," I said, cuddling a teddy bear and kunai. Nice combination. Don't you think?

"If it doesn't hurt, then what _does_ it feel like?" Another grow-up asked, a female to be precise. She wore a black t-shirt and pants, along with a green vest that symbolized her higher authority. A bandana was in her hair, tied in a knot in the back, with a metal plate pinned to the front across her forehead. The metal plate had two clouds carved into it, symbolizing her loyalty to our village. Every ninja, otherwise known as shinobi, of our village wore this symbol somewhere on their attire.

"What should it feel like?" I asked, not really knowing how to answer her question. Come on, I was six for crying out loud! How the hell am I suppose to know the vocabulary of a thirty-nine year-old dude. Answer: non-existent.

The same female gave me a sideways glance, as if not really knowing how to restate her question. She was silent for about a minute, and then spoke again: "Chakra is supposed to be a source of energy that can be…turned on and off. Energy that is felt only when needed. It a special feeling that sends tingles up your spine and nerves, but at the same time is exciting and cool." She paused, "Does that help?"

I nodded and quickly answered, "Yeah! I know what you mean! But…my chakra doesn't tingle…it…seems to like _talking _to me…"

"Talking?"

"Yeah, it talks, but doesn' have a body, so it talks through me, like a ghost!"

The group of shinobi look at each other with questionable faces. The same ninja crouched down to look me in the eyes. "Do you know what it talks to you about?"

I paused, "Stuff related to trees and flowers." I smiled. The female ninja sighed, and gave me a hug.

"Don't worry, sweetie. We are going to find you a home." I couldn't help but cry.

The next month I spent secluded in a small room somewhere in the village. My "guardian" had told me that my permanent foster family would be here soon to pick me up, and I found myself counting the days until their arrival. The next month or so passed slowly and dimly, the only source of light was through the small barred window near the ceiling, and my only source of entertainment was tracing the zig-zag brick pattern on the wall. Visits from my "guardian" were brief and gloomy. The ninja would only enter to hand me my meals and take me out for my daily bathroom break. It wasn't that bad I supposed. It could have been worse.

When I was finally released from my quarters for the first time in weeks, I was taken straight to the center park, where the yearly Lunar Festival was taking place. Memories of my mother and father taking me to this very festival loomed in the back of my mind as we entered a huge circus tent. My first thought as my "guardian" and I sat down in the bleachers was that we were going to watch the circus performers, but when I realized we were the only ones in the circus tent, it occurred to me that something else was going on. Suddenly, the tent went dark as the entrance closed, and a bright light focused in on a platform about a hundred feet from the ground. A girl appeared in a puff of smoke, wearing a sparkly red leotard and matching gloves. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her lips were accented with a deep shade of crimson. She looked straight at me and smiled. A drum roll magically appeared as she reached for a swinging trapeze bar. She jumped upward, and then she was off—doing tricks and summersaults that I didn't think were possible up until now. As she came to halt on middle bar (there were three side by side), it slowly dropped to the center of the arena on the ground. Her feet landed gracefully, as if she were walking on air. She smiled at me again, a genuine smile full of hope and kindness. "Satomi, welcome to your new home," she said. It was the single most amazing moment of my life.

From that moment onward I had travelled with my family of freaks. We spent a good eight months out of the year surrounded by trees, animals, and forest life, while four months was spent in towns such as my home village. I enjoyed the occasional stops and tours. It gave me a chance to explore different parts of the world and its varieties of people and customs. It also gave me time to sketch and capture nature in my sketch book. As I sat atop the highest branch in the tallest tree for miles around, I did just that—drew nature and its eternal beauty.


	2. Wild Card

**Wild Card**

"Damn straight!" Warning, never challenge Aura to a game of poker.

"How the hell did you do that? Cheater!" Yup, never a good idea to challenge Aura to a game of poker. You are pretty much doomed to fail, and losing to a young, beautiful woman such as Aura is not good for any man's ego. "Bitch!"

"Well, look at the time… Satomi, will you be a dear and grab my stuff. I got the winnings." She quickly started to grab all our previous bets and prizes off the table and stuff it into her other bag. The winnings included all of our previous losses and bets that we threw away on purpose to get every man at that table to go all-in. It's amazing what men will do when you put sex on the line as a bet. You mention the word and their willing to wager a good sixty gold pieces for a one-night-stand with a beautiful young woman.

"_You're all out of bets lady. Can't do anything else except fold."_

"_Well, there is _one _thing I could bet."_

"_And that would be…?" _

The next minute every guy at the table, including one woman, had thrown down the sixty gold pieces for the round. The dealer passed out the cards and: "Anyone going to beat a pair of aces?" A hefty man asked from across the table. The others looked at their hands and sighed in defeat, placing their cards on the table. Aura however, challenged his gaze. He looked right at her, "Well?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble fat man but," she laid down her cards face up on the table, "sadly, your pair of aces is inferior to my flush of hearts." Sorry, fat man, warned you.

"Not so fast, Miss," the fat man said. "You're not going anywhere." It's tradition, really, we end up winning the jackpot and then having to deal with Mr. Fat Man's security. "We have some unfinished business to take care of…"

I didn't move as two of his bodyguards came up from behind me and grabbed my arms. Aura was now standing straight with the bag in her arm, facing the hefty man in the eye. The large burlap bag wasn't the greatest match with her black satin dress and high heels, but we weren't there to make a fashion statement. "Sorry, Sir, but we have no further business with one another, so I suggest you move before things get ugly," she replied. Her smirk never left her face, and it was driving the fat man insane.

"Really? What's a pretty lady like you and her little midget going to do?" Did he just call me a midget? Apparently so, because one of his henchmen was laughing.

"No one calls me a midget," I growled, and took action without Aura's approval. She gave me a look, 'What the hell are you doing?' I knew I'd get a lecture later, but that wasn't my main focus right now. It was more along the lines of kicking these guys' asses, and I think I'll start with the ones behind me…

"Wha…?" The henchman, along with his partner, that was laughing at me were the first to go. I summoned the aid of my chakra reserves and flipped them onto their backs, making them release their hold on my arms. They landed with a thud, and for the heck of it I kicked each of them in the balls.

"I'm not a midget," I growled at their faces before another group of body guards came my way. I side-stepped to avoid a punch in the gut while I tripped one of the guards to the floor, grinning. "Satomi, behind you!!" I turned around only to see Mr. Fat Man pointing a gun in my direction. Aura was near the exit, already have taken out her share of body guards. _What should I do? Oh boy…oh shit..shit shit shit!!!!!_

_**Window, duh.**_

I shifted my gaze to the left. There was a window open that led outside onto the roof. Aura must have caught on because she left a second later. I leaped for the opening in one swift movement right when Mr. Fat Man shot his gun. It missed me as I somersaulted down the roof, grabbed the edge and landed on the ground with a thud. I ignored the pain in my feet and kept running. Mr. Fat Man and his minions would be after us for awhile. I trusted Aura and her sense of judgment. She'd be fine on her own. As for me, I needed to find a place to hide.

* * *

I ran inside the closest bar and made my way to the front counter. I sat down and waited, but it wasn't long until someone assisted me. "Aren't you a little young to be drinking, kid? Sorry, but I can't serve you liquor."

"I'm just here for a map, please. I got lost. I'm here for the festival and I don't know where I'm going," I replied nicely. The man wasn't an asshole from what I could tell; he seemed alright.

"Sure thing, I'll be right back." He went in the back room and came out a minute later with a local map in his hand. He opened it up on the counter in front of me. "Here we are," he pointed, "and to get to the fairgrounds you need to go this way." He kindly drew over with a pen the route I'd have to take to get back to Aura and our group. I nodded appreciatively and stood to leave, but then I noticed it was raining outside, pouring to be more specifically, and sat my lovely butt back down on the bar-stool seat. "Not leaving?" He asked.

"It's pouring outside, and I don't want to get wet," I shrugged. He smirked and offered me something to drink. "I'll just have water," he nodded.

"If you're not from around here then you must be here for the festival, eh?"

"Yeah, but I'm not here for the festivities. I'm actually in the circus act that Iwa hired." I took a sip off my glass of water.

"Really? That's impressive. You look young to be in a circus though. How old are you exactly?"

I finished my water and placed the glass on the table. "Fourteen," I replied.

"Is that so? You're the same age as my son." I stared at him for a minute.

"Son?" I made note of his blond hair and blue eyes, and began searching for a miniature version of the older man from my seat. No such luck.

The older man started laughing, "Oh, he's not here. He's with his mother, across town. We're divorced, my wife and I, and she has custody over him. I don't see him very often, and my wife isn't very good at keeping me updated with their schedule, so I never see her."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, "you guys not see eye to eye or something?"

"Well, her and I have different viewpoints on a whole bunch of issues, which is probably why our marriage didn't work. However, the main reason we're divorced is because she cheated on me."

"No offense, but your wife sounds like a bitch." We both started laughing

"That she is, that she is." The man continued with his chores behind the counter, washing mugs and glasses of sorts. I handed him mine and he accepted it with a nod, "Thank you, yeah."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but at least your son _has _a mom. Mine died when I was little, so I don't have one." The man met my gaze, "He, your son I mean, still probably loves you and you don't even know it. Sure, your ex-wife is a son-stealing bitch who has no sense of morality whatsoever but…at least you know he's being looked after."

"True, but I still don't like my son being around her."

The man seemed to get silent after that. He kept himself busy behind the counter, and would occasionally stop to scratch his bearded chin. I noticed as he turned that his blond hair was braided down his back, and that his bangs were being kept out of his eyes by a forehead protector. "You're a shinobi?" He nodded.

"I'm retired," he simply stated. "Life got in the way, and I didn't want to risk dying."

Good reason I decided, "Shinobi life can be devastating." I continued to star at the bar counter. It didn't occur to me yet that it had stopped raining outside.

"I've told my son that, but he seems to think otherwise." I looked up, but the man had already gone into the back room. I heard him speak up in the back, "He's told me that he thinks that the only way to get respect is to show people how powerful he is." I heard him drop something and glass shatter; my ears jerked. "But I've told him that power isn't need to be happy and live a well-rounded life, but he still disagrees. He says he needs power to make people respect his 'art,' whatever that is." He came back out a minute later and handed me a piece of paper. "Here, take this. It's a free physic reading from one of Iwa's greatest. She's probably set up a booth down by the festival grounds. I'm never gonna use it, so take it." I accepted his offer and looked over the piece of paper. A crystal ball was on the front along with the address and the gypsy's name, Madame Daichi. "It's getting late, and the rain's stopped, yeah. You should get going." I nodded and left some money on the table as a tip.

"Thanks for the small talk. It was nice meeting you, and don't worry, life will get better. You'll see!" I smiled as I walked out the door.

"Same, yeah. Nice meeting you too." He barely looked my way as I walked out the door. Perhaps our conversation gave him other things to think about. I pushed the rest of my thoughts aside as I headed straight for home, his "Madame Daichi" card in my back pocket.

* * *

"Where the hell were you? You had me worried sick!" Remember that lecture I was afraid of, well I'm getting it right now. "I didn't even tell you to start a riot. I know you like bashing heads, but next time can you wait until I give the signal? Your stupid antics made us improvise, and he pulled out a gun, a GUN!!! You're lucky he missed. One more foot to the right and you'd be dead right now _blah blah BLAH!" _I sort of tuned her out after 'what the hell,' but she's persistent with her lectures. If I don't look like I'm half-interested in what she is saying then I'd be here for another hour or so. Speaking of which she about due for another rant… "Are you listening to be? Do you know how worried I was blah blah. I looked everywhere blah blah. Keep this up and you're going to get us killed blah blah." Wait a minute! She's blaming _me _for this mess.

"Hold it. You're the one that wanted to go gambling in the first place. I know how you get when you go to a casino. If I hadn't have gone, you'd be probably be sleeping in bed with that bastard right now. I only came along to make sure _you _didn't do anything stupid!" It's true. Even though Aura is a decade or so older than me, she acts like a rebellious teenager, and I know what that looks like, considering I am one myself. I'm not exactly what you may call a "role model" or a "by the book" type of person. I prefer making my own rules and following them as I please. This lifestyle doesn't flow well with Ring Master Suko and Aura, my trapeze partner.

"Aura, is this true?" I turned around only to be face to face with Ring Master Suko. He's tough, but he's the closest thing to a parental figure I have, and I'm thankful for that. He's always wearing a black top hat and blazer with this bright-red bowtie. It looks really geeky if you ask me, but I'm not about to tell him that. I don't understand adult fashion, and I don't think I ever will.

Aura wore a guilty look on her face that could be read from a mile away, "Maybe…"

Suko-sensei sighed and dropped his head, "You're going to give me a heart attack one day, Aura. If those goons come here, don't expect me or anyone else here to protect you." I snickered, "Don't think you're off the hook either, Satomi." I ceased my laughing and game him an angry look. "Both of you are going to spend the rest of the evening cleaning out the animal cages, starting with the elephants'." We both glared daggers. The elephant cage smells like a combination of poop, skunk, and puke. I'll be showering none stop for weeks!

'_**Times like this is when I'm happy that I don't have nose.'**_

'_Lucky you.'_ Sometimes I wonder if I'm going insane.

'_**Sweetie, yes you are.'**_

'_Shut up.' _ Never mind, I don't _wonder, _I _know _I'm going crazy.

"Hey, Satomi, we have work to do," Aura snapped me out of my psychological debate by handing me a pooper scooper. This was going to be a _wonderful _evening.

* * *

My back ached, my arms felt like noodles, and my body smelt like poop. It really was a great way to start a Saturday morning. Wait, a _Saturday _morning…

I was up and in the shower in less than a minute. Today was the last day before the actual festival began, meaning today was the only day I had left to explore Iwa! I got out of the shower dripping from head to toe as I grabbed the nearest towel. I dried myself off and took a moment to look over my appearance in the mirror. My dark, almost black, navy-blue hair was messy (my natural waves at work) and my face was clear of blemishes (except for one on my forehead). I grabbed my favorite brush and started combing out the tangles in my head. First rule: Always work top to bottom. Start from the crown of your head and work down to the tips. This way no new tangles will form. Second rule: When applying makeup, don't look like a clown and skip any colors that clash with you natural skin-tone and eye color. In my case, any blue shade is out because my eyes are a light blue. Reds and purples don't do me much good either, so I stick with browns and/or silvers. Finally, third rule: Never leave the house without a brush and hair tie. You never know when humidity will strike, so be prepared. Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I dashed out my hotel room door with my sketch pad in hand.

I ran into Suko-sensei on my way out of the hotel. I rounded the corner when he spotted me. "Satomi, can I talk to you for a second?" I stopped midway in my sprint for the exit to hear him speak more clearly. "I need you to do an errand for me. I have a lot to take care of today, and I don't have time to deliver this personally. She's an old friend of mine who's been looking forward to chatting with me. However, I'm going to have to cancel our meeting today for later on in the week. Can you deliver this message to her for me?" He handed me a message scroll and I reluctantly took it from his hands. "I wrote the address down on the side of the scroll. It's not a far walk from here. Just down the street. Thanks again Satomi!" He didn't stick around much longer. He was a busy man after all. I guess my exploration would have to wait.

I left the hotel at an even quicker pace than before, dodging pedestrians as I went. The streets were crowded. Elbow room wasn't a given this early in the morning, and you had to push your way through the crowd to get from one place to another. "Excuse me! Coming through, people!" I managed to get through a crowd of bystanders that were cart shopping. Merchants from all over had started parking their carriages of sales products about a week ago. The numbers had increased dramatically over the past couple of days, much to my dismay—I'm petite and short.

Even through the crowded streets of Iwa, I still came to notice the peculiar architecture. Buildings were not made of wood, but of stone and rock. It looked as though random rocks had been cemented together to form a brick pattern. Rocks ranged from an ashy red to a silvery grey. I looked around and noticed that the colors of the mountains surrounding the city were the same colors. It made sense that Iwa use its available resources to build their homes like how Kohona uses its large abundance of trees to make their wooden houses.

I was to caught up in my thoughts to notice the blond head of hair run into me. We both collided with a grunt as we fell. I dropped my sketchpad on the ground, closer to the stranger than me. "Can you watch where you're going, yeah?" He noticed my fallen sketch book and grabbed it. He eyed it suspiciously as he flipped through the pages. "You're an artist, hmm?" He looked at me with his icy blue eyes and I nodded.

"A little," I replied. It was true, drawing was one of my favorite past times. I smiled as he started going through my sketch book, flipping through one page after another. His one visible eye scanned the pages in interest, for his right eye was hidden behind a blond bang. He wore a shinobi forehead protector along with a black kimono-style shirt and black pants. I suddenly found myself dusting off the dirt on my clothing and fixing my hair. "I usually do scenic drawings. I'm on the road a lot, and I'm usually surrounded by nature." I smiled as he closed my book.

"It's amateurs work. A three year old could draw better." He held it out for me to take.

"What?" I said, making sure I heard him clearly. I stopped my flirting attempts and gave him a look of disbelief.

"Do the world a favor and find another hobby, un." His arrogance was starting to piss me off. "No need to thank me." Was he expecting a "thank you?" Oh, he was _going_ to get one from me.

My eyebrow was twitching angrily as he waited for a reply. That stupid arrogant smile of his wouldn't leave his face. I took a deep breath and gave him the most fake smile I could pull off. "You know what, I know just how to thank you."

He raised an eyebrow at my comment. "And what would that be?"I wanted to punch him into next week, more so over a mountain, but I settled for the nearest wall, or cart of cabbages for that matter. I was debating if I might have gone too far, but I felt too good to care.

"How's a punch in the face sound?" I took in my moment of glory before the clouds of dust cleared. I could see him glaring at me as he held his jaw in pain with one hand, picking out cabbage greenery from his hair with the other . If looks could kill, I'd be in hell right now.

"_**What are you waiting for? RUN you idiot!" **_Good idea.

"I am so…going…_to kill you_!" The blond was out of the wreckage and on my tail in less than a second. Nearby crowds watched us as we zigzagged and pushed our way through the crowd, toppling over some people and carts as we went. I didn't stop to turn around. "Get back here, eh! I'm not finished with you!" He was getting closer. I could hear it from the change of volume in his voice.

'_What should I do?' _

'…'

I was sort of thankful that the voice in my head didn't reply. She, he, or it can be judgmental at times.

It was at this moment I acted on instinct: I slide into the ground with my right leg extended. I breezed by underneath the massive jewelry car in my way, and dashed for the nearest shop. I was panting from exhaustion as I entered the door, relieved to have lost the blond maniac. My chest was pounding from the excitement. I smiled to myself, _'Perfect.' _The blond came into view in front of the shop window. I watched him look frantically for me, and I was glad when he departed further down the street, out of the shop's view.

The shop I was in had a variety of… _strange _merchandise: dream catchers, freaky statues, cards, and more. A set of chimes hanged from the ceiling. Curiosity got the best of me, and a second later I found myself touching the chimes, hearing the music they made as they collided with one another.

"It's not very polite to touch other people's things without permission," a raspy voice muttered. I freaked and knocked a snow globe to the floor (at least I thought it was a snow globe). The middle-aged woman was dressed in loose clothing. It looked like drapery in clothing form. A variety of gold chains dangled from her next, along with a skull necklace that I guessed might be used for voodoo purposes. One golden-hoop earring hanged from each of her colored ear-lobs, each matching precisely with the color of her creepy yellow eyes.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" she hushed me by raising her hand. I cut my rambling and bowed, "Please accept my apology. I'll pay for the damages."

"Don't worry about it right now. Come." She motioned for me to follow her into the back room through a cascade of stringed beads that hanged from the top of the door frame. The back room was dark, except for about a dozen candles that lit the room in an eerie yellow glow. Closer inspection revealed it to be a fortune telling room of some sorts. The thing on the center table (I mentally smacked myself) _was not _a snow globe, but a crystal ball. "Sit," she ordered, pointing to one of the seating cushions surrounding the table. I sat down and waited quietly. "Tea?" She asked.

"No thank you," I said. She poured me a cup anyway, and reluctantly took a sip.

She placed the teapot back down the costar next to her. An eternity seemed to pass before she spoke again, "You are probably wondering why I brought you back here, Satomi."

'_Duh, and how the hell do you know my name?'_

"I had previously discussed meeting with you with Suko, and he agreed that a meeting could be set. That scroll you're carrying was just a distraction to get you to come here. I've heard stories about you're antics from Suko and I knew you wouldn't come unless given a reason, so he and I plotted this scroll delivering task for you." I was a little pissed off at Suko after hearing that. He knew me too well.

"Suko-sensei has told you about me?" I questioned, "Why? I am orphan girl with no family except the circus folks I know. There's really nothing else special about me."

"Satomi, you don't know how wrong you are."

* * *

**Author's Note: Thank you my first lovely two reviewers: ****darkaquarian96**** and ****Yuti-Chan****. Give them an around of applause ladies and gentlemen! This is the second chapter. hope you enjoyed it, and I look forward to updating again in the next week or so. With that said, I am looking for a couple beta readers. If you like the story and/or are a great mentor, then I will politely ask for your voluntary services. *gets down on knees and begs*. "Please help me!" I have also posted a poll on a character that will appear in the next chapter. I can't decide on a name, and I would like your opinions in on that matter. =] Thanks ya'll, and remember: "Review are like hugs, they both bring joy to my heart." Review please! =]**


	3. The Wish of a Spirit

**Kou**

It's apparent I've been an abnormal teenager since day one. Parents die, join circus, get thrown into so great destiny: it really sounds like one of those children's books that no one ever reads. You know? The plot is horrible and the main character is too good to be true, and anyone with an IQ over fifty knows how the story is going to end. The princess finds her prince; they fall in love, and run off or get married. It really depends on the genre, but I'm sticking with the princess theme. Princess Satomi, Goddess of Profanity, Art, and Ninja Skills. Really? No. Never. Not in a million years. I don't want to be a princess. I want to be a _normal_ teenager. If being a freak of nature is normal, then I'll be it, but I don't think "freak of nature" classifies as being normal. I've already mentioned my inability to think straight for more than five minutes without an "Inner Satomi" talking to me in my head. I sometimes wonder if people don't like me because they could see I was a lunatic. Little did I know that question was going to be answered _very_ soon…

"You are more special than you realize, Satomi." Here we go. "There are explanations for your insecurities, starting with your stability and confidence. For one thing, you're not sure if you mentally sane because you always have this voice in your head telling you their personal opinion on things. It can be nerve-racking to not know who you are as a person, and frankly I brought you here to solve this problem." She stood up and walked over to the only other dresser in the room and opened up the cupboard, pulling out something from it depths. She walked back over to the table and handed it to me. "This, I believe will solve most of your problems. It is a chakra necklace that allows you to easily differentiate chakra types. Basically, your chakra from the nature chakra that has been mingling with yours since they day you were born. This should stop the voices in your head and also supply your friend here with what she/he wants." I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I know how to count, and I could only see _two _people in the room, not three.

"He or she? There's no one else here but us?" I looked at her in confusion, and then back down at the necklace. The green crystal was smooth to the touch. A silver chain looped through an engraved hole in the stone. It was beautiful.

The sudden voice in my head caught me by surprise, _"__**I'd rethink that I were you…" **_I almost dropped the trinket I was holding.

'_What the hell? Who are you and how did you get in my head?'_ I'm pretty sure my reaction was considered normal. I was even more spooked when the voice started to answer my question.

"_**Simple, really. I merge my chakra with yours willingly, and then that gives me access to your chakra networks, which include your mind and subconscious. However, I can only do temporarily, since I don't have a body to control my chakra reserves efficiently. This is why I can only talk back so often."**_

"She has the inability to control her own power, basically," Madame Daichi cut in. Yeah, I connected the dots. She never mentioned her name, but I'm about ninety-percent sure that I'm right. Call it voodoo intuition I guess. "Like the nine biji, she doesn't have a mind or a body to control her power, so she's using your mind to communicate with you. For a mass of chakra, she's very smart."

"_**Thank you," **_This was getting weird. At least I know the voice in my head wasn't mine, but frankly that only arose other questions and issues far worse.

"Can you guys read my mind right now, because she is suppose to be only in my head, not yours," I pointed at Madame Daichi. I didn't like the idea of my thoughts being read by everyone.

"No, I can't." Thank god. "That necklace you're holding acts as catalyst for chakra flow. If you know how to use it, you can connect you're chakra with others. This is how I am able to communicate with this spirit and you verbally."

"So your chakra, my chakra, and 'its' chakra are all mingling right now?" I asked, forming quotations with my hands as I said "it."

"Indeed, that is correct," Madame Daichi replied.

"_**Through this necklace, Satomi, I'm able to communicate with you freely. I don't have to exhaust myself in order to communicate with you, and now that you know about me, my surprise inputs will cease to exist. Please, it's hard to even communicate with you the little that I do. I wanted to tell you about me, but I figured you'd find a way to block my chakra if I told you. Not many people are keen about having a spirit wandering in their head, and you're the first person I've ever met that hasn't gone stir-crazy with me. Believe me when I say this, but if you don't want to help me then I'll leave you alone…" **_

I sort of felt sorry for the spirit. All she was trying to do was get to know me, even if her attempts made me feel insane. Her intentions seemed pure, and she was literally begging for my help. It then suddenly occurred to me that I wasn't being harassed by a spirit "just because," and that Madame Daichi brought me here specifically to introduce me to this mass of thinking chakra. It did make a lot of sense, really. I probably would have blocked and suppressed my chakra if I knew that this spirit was making itself cozy inside my mind. Perhaps it was wise that "it" waited to tell me, because besides the mental issues, she hasn't caused me any trouble. In fact, she had saved me on more than one occasion: the poker incident, and the run-in with Blondzilla. But the reasons behind her actions were still foggy, and I didn't want to be involved in anything that might cause harm to others. I may be violent, but I still have a sense of morality. I know, it's quite shocking! However, I'd need to know the rest of her story before I make any final decisions, and I planned on getting then one way or another.

"You have explained some of surfacing issues, but I would like to get to the main reason why you brought me here." I took a sip of the remaining tea in my cup and looked Madame Daichi in the eye, "More specifically, why me of all people. I know very little about chakra except the basics, and my fighting skills rank just above a Genin at the ninja academy! Sure, I can take out a few bad guys, but most of the guards at casinos aren't really trained to handle ninja on any level. And besides, I'm not that smart or levelheaded…" Madame Daichi silenced me with a glare.

"You are special whether you like it or not, and frankly you have a gift that should be put to use. As you probably already figured out, I did set up this meeting to formally introduce you to this chakra being, but it was mainly as a way to force you to listen to her," Madame Daichi said in reference to the spirit. "Whether or not you chose to help her is your own option, but at least hear her out first." I nodded.

"I understand, and I'm ready to, listen, chakra spirit." I waited patiently for a response, but I didn't have to wait long.

"_**Satomi," the spirit whispered, "Please understand that I need your help. You're parents were gifted Hidden Cloud Shinobi that served Lightning country in the medical field, and they started to develop a technique that could make organs from scratch. By studying the microscopic structure of each human organ, you're parents could recreate a useable human body with a single strand of hair. Such a breakthrough could generate an endless supply of fresh and new organs for transplant. The organs could also be customized to fit the patient's gene makeup, which would ensure a very high success rate in recovery. Your parents started to create this medical ninjutsu with these purposes in mind, until a man named Orochimaru confronted them."**_

"Isn't he the creeper from the Sound Country?" I had indeed heard his name before. Orochimaru was commonly known for his reign over thousands of missing-nin.

"_**Yes, unfortunately. More importantly, however, he was obsessed in obtaining immortal life. He kidnapped your parents on a mission in fire country to obtain this jutsu, as it held promise. When your parents explained that it was incomplete and unusable, he killed them out of spit. The jutsu remains in safe keeping somewhere in the Hidden Cloud Village. Your parents left you their work in their will, hoping that you could maybe complete their technique."**_

"He killed my parents…" I kept staring into space with a sense of shock. Never had I pictured my parents dying at the hands of an S-class missing-nin or discovering a medical breakthrough; neither did I picture myself having a sense of revenge. I was so angry it wasn't even funny. My own village had lied to me about my parents, telling me nothing and handing me off to some circus club as a way to get rid of me and Orochimaru's chances at a technique that could give him immortal life. It was disgusting in more than one way, and I couldn't decipher which one filled me with the most disgust. Luckily for me I'm good at concealing anger when I want to, and was able to listen to Madame Daichi fill me in on the rest of this ghastly tale.

"Your village was trying to protect itself as a whole, Satomi, and by adopting you out to a foreign family they ensured their safety as well as yours for the time being. It is logically speaking that if Orochimaru knew that your parents had children, he would look into making you his own—thus, giving him full power over the jutsu." Madame Daichi was good at reading minds. She was right. My village did act in the most logical way possible. At least they considered my life to be somewhat important. Now my revenge seemed pointless.

"If my village did not intend for me to know, then why are you two telling me this?" I demanded.

"_**Like I said before, Satomi, I need your help."**_

"But with _what_ exactly?" Madame Daichi remained silent. Apparently from here on out it was the spirit that had to do the talking.

"_**Well, you see…I…I want to be able to feel and think like humans can."**_ Out of all the responses I could get. That was the last one I would have expected. _**"I can't experience love or hate. Emotion is like a foreign language to me; I want to learn it, but I can't. The few chakra spirits that exist don't have many options in life. The nine biju are forced to be maintained in a host, while the only other couple besides myself are forced to sit back and watch as life carries on. I don't age or die; I am basically a mass of chakra that has been able to form a simple mind of its own. I don't even have a name."**_

"I can fix that," I said.

"_**What?"**_

"I said I can fix part of your problem. You don't have a name now, but I can give you one if you like?" The offer was genuine, and I believe she would have smiled if given a body.

"_**Really?"**_

"Sure, if you are going to be sticking around anyway, I'll need to address you by something." I put on my best thinking face and started to brainstorm a list of names. My mind finally settled on a name, "Kou," I said, "You're name is Kou."

"_**Kou?"**_

"It means 'happiness,' and it's a unisex name. I don't know if you want to be a girl or guy later on in life, so I'm settling for something that's flexible. Do you like it?"

"_**It's acceptable I suppose."**_Great, I get stuck with the picky one.

"You will most likely need that necklace on your journey, so keep it," Madame Daichi told me a second later. "There is only one other like it in the world, so don't lose it."

"It's that rare? I didn't think…"

"Yes, girly, it is that rare. I know because I'm the one who created it. I have its twin, so if you need my help for anything you can contact me by linking our chakras. Satomi, first things first, you need to find a medical trainer. There are not many here, neither are there many in Lightning Country, so you will have to find one elsewhere."

"Do you know anyone who would be willing to train me?" I was really confused.

"No," was her reply. It was straight forward, but not really helping me much.

"So, what am I suppose to do? I can't just leave the circus…"

"That's exactly what you have to do. To start this journey requires you to be focused on improving your ninja skills, and you can't do that in a group of circus performers. No one there is a ninja. You must leave."

"But…"

"No buts. I have already discussed your leave with Suko. He has agreed to drop you off near Fire Country, where there is a large amount of medical specialists. From there you will journey on your own until you find a trainer. Take whatever comes first, because living by yourself in the wild is dangerous."

"Wait, you expect me to live on my own! Are you crazy?"

"_**You'll have me, Satomi. Don't forget that. We'll be in my element, surrounded by tree and earth. I have control over the five elements. As long as you're with me, I'll keep you safe. Call it an exchange for helping me."**_

I was confused and scared all at once. Apparently the rest of my life had been planned out without my approval. Speaking of which, Suko-sensei and Madame Daichi had planned all this? What the hell? What else didn't I know! However, eventhough I was mad, I was actually pretty excited! I had always wanted to help the world somehow. Sure, performing was one thing, but saving a human life was an even greater achievement. The more and more I thought about the situation, the more confidence I had in myself that I could do it! I could become a medical ninja, care on my parents' legacy, and grant Kou her wish of becoming a human. I could, and I would. "Alright, then," I suddenly found myself smirking, "When do we leave?"

* * *

Three days. Three days until the festival was over and I would be on my own. It didn't seem like much time at all. I never really thought about it, but I wanted to do a lot of things in these three days, and two of them would be spent working, meaning I only had one day left to spend having fun. What to do, what to do…

I started to think about Aura and our antics together. Would I see her again after I left? Would I miss her and her lectures despite their annoyance? Could she possibly leave and get married? I would kill myself if I missed something like that! Aura, despite her flaws, was like my sister, and not being able to be around to see her everyday was devastating. I treated her so bad at times too. How would I make it up to her or Suko-sensei? I couldn't put together eight years of apologies together in three days!

"Life's a bitch."

"_**Tell me about it." **_

"Do you mind if I complain?"

"_**Isn't that when you humans get all self-centered and talk about their problems?" **_

I chuckled, "For a spirit, you're not too bad, Kou. And yes, that's what complaining is, but don't be so negative about it. People complain all the time."

"_**For a human, you're livable. Most don't like me or my forest. They think they can do anything they want to it. Was I complaining just then?"**_

"You have that emotion down, but don't think of feelings as something you can learn and keep tabs on. Emotions are things you have to experience."

"_**Oh, so I'll have to wait to learn about emotions?" **_

"In certain ways yes, but in other ways no. I can explain how certain ones feel, but to actually associate it with an action will take experience. Like I felt 'angry' when I was complaining. Get it?"

"Yes. Please list a few emotions."

"Well, there is fear, courage, happy, sad, hate, love...there are a lot more, but those are just a few."

"How many are there?"

"Hundreds, maybe thousands. I don't have that kind of vocabulary."

"I have to learn all of them?"

"No. Like I said earlier, it's something you experience, not learn. Knowing emotions is part of being human, so you already know it from day one. You'll see."

I started to migrate toward our hotel around sunset. The streets weren't as crowded as they were earlier in the day. Kou and I walked in silence as we made our way home. It was an uncomfortable silence. I still had a lot of questions, but was scared to ask. I figured that both of us had been through enough today, and set aside any questions I had for later. Kou, however, had one last question for me.

"_**Satomi."**_

"Yeah, Kou."

"_**Is love considered an emotion?"**_ I wasn't sure what she meant, or why she was asking, but was kind and gave her a direct answer.

"Yes, it is."

"_**Is it special?"**_

"Well, duh. It's an emotion that few people are lucky to experience. Love is something that you have to share with another person, like a friend or family member. Why do you ask?" Alright, so my self-control was dwindling.

"_**Well, it's a confusing emotion, and one of the only feelings that I'm actually familiar with on some level. I guess I was just curious."**_

"Oh, well. If you ever have a question, don't be afraid to ask, alright?"

"_**Alright. Oh, and, Satomi," **_she paused, **"**_**thank you."**_I smiled.

"Don't mention it." I'm beginning to think that this was the start of an exciting new journey.

* * *

**AN: NO REVIEWERS? WTF!!!!! Come on, review even if you don't like the story, so I'll at least know why you didn't like it. Anyways, hope you like Kou. She's different, I know. I fixed a couple things in chapter two as well. Chapter four should be up next week sometime. Thanks again for reading, and remember to REVIEW!!! 3**


	4. Deidara

**Deidara**

When Deidara got up Sunday morning he did what he did every day. When his alarm on his bedside table started to ring, he pounded his fist on the alarm clock and knocked it to the ground, breaking it into a thousand pieces. "UGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!" He let out a moan, head still buried in his pillow. He rolled over on his back, hands above his head, and looked out the window over his bed. The sun was bright and high in the sky. Birds chirped and flew through the blue abyss with not a care in the world. As Deidara looked out his window at the wonderful sight, one thing registered in his mind—today was going to be a horrible day.

He formed a look of disgust as he lazily made his way out of his bed and into the kitchen. Deidara opened the refrigerator, only to find nothing in its depths, as usual. He let out a stream of curses as he made his to the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair. Opening the door he turned on the light and looked in the mirror. His blond hair was long and a frizzy mess. He examined the bruise on his jaw and right cheek, right where Satomi had punched him the day before. He had tried everything to get the swelling to go down, but so far not luck. It was as black and blue as ever. Deidara grimaced, but got to work untangling the knots in his hair.

He walked out about thirty minutes later—hair completely straight and tangle free. He wore an Iwa shinobi headband on his forehead and his hair was pulled back in loose pony tail. People often made fun of him because of his hair style, saying he was a major "pretty-boy." Other boys at the academy also joked about him favoring males in terms of sex taste. Basically, they thought he was gay. Surely he got mad and told them to "fuck off," but that only provoked them further. He sighed as he opened the front door of his home and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

The blond made his way to Iwa's market place. Surrounding him was a variety of cafes he could dine in. He chose an unfamiliar breakfast shop on his right and walked toward the shop's front door. He stepped inside and sat in a booth next to the window. A waitress came to greet him about a minute later.

"Hell, my name is Zuki. What can I get you, honey? Anything to drink?" She asked politely.

"Just get me the daily special with a glass of orange juice, and step on it. I don't have all day."

"Yes sir." Zuki ran out of Deidara's gaze, too afraid to write down his order. He enjoyed bossing people around when he could. His happy moment was cut off as the bell by the door jingled, signifying that new customers had arrived. He frowned as two familiar faces walked into the shop. Much to his dismay, the two boys noticed him and made their way into the other side of his booth.

"Hey, Dei-chan." One of them asked in an overly sincere tone.

"What do you want, Hayashi, Tomeo?" Deidara snapped.

Deidara knew well what was coming. Hayashi just smiled, "We heard about the little incident in the market place yesterday. We just wanted to double check it was true."

"Yeah!" Tomeo said, grinning. Deidara just replied with a stoic mask.

"I don't know what you are talking about." At this moment the waitress came to Deidara's table with his order.

"Here you are sir. Oh you have company; can I get you gentlemen anything?" The waitress asked.

"Thanks but no thanks," Hayashi said.

"I'll have the dango please," Tomeo said. Hayashi gave him a look of dissatisfaction, and Tomeo hesitated, "On second thought, never mind." The waitress gave somewhat of a nervous grin and scurried away, happy to be out of the young men's gazes. Hayashi focused his gaze back on Deidara.

"Anyway, don't deny it. Tomeo saw the whole incident. You got punched into a cart of cabbages by a girl, and by the looks of that shiner she gave you, you must have pissed her off pretty bad." Hayashi grabbed Deidara's untouched fork and started to eat off his pate. "Did your mom teach you any manners? Tisk Tisk, I'm sorry Dei-chan, but that is just sad."

"She caught me off guard. I didn't think she'd actually punch me, yeah."

"And you couldn't catch her either? Poor Dei-chan. Not only did he get beat-up by a girl, he doesn't even have the ninja skills to catch a simple peasant!" Hayashi said to Tomeo.

Tomeo nodded his head in disapproval; "It _was_ pathetic," Tomeo paused, but then made a face that signified a brilliant idea in the making. "Hey, Hayashi, I wonder what the others at the academy with think when they hear about this…"

Hayashi's eyes widened with excitement. "You're right Tomeo," Hayashi replied, "I wonder what they will think?" He smirked as he looked over at Deidara, "More importantly, however, I wonder what _Megumi-chan_ will think?" He smirked as he got the reaction he wanted—Deidara blushed.

Tomeo started laughing. "She'll probably be embarrassed as hell! She'll probably be like…" He changed his voice to a high-pitched girly tone, "'Oh Kami, that boy is soooooo stupid. I'd never like him in a million years! He's gay, looks like a girl, and is a sad excuse of ninja!'" Tomeo struck a girly pose as he stood up from his seat in the booth. "'I can understand why Deidara would like me though. I'm sooooo pretty and have like the biggest boobs in the whoooooole world. Who _wouldn't _like me? It's too bad he's a loser. I'd never date him.'" Tomeo smirked as he saw Deidara's face turn even redder out of rage.

"Shut the fuck up!" He yelled. Everyone in the shop turned.

"Oh no, Dei-chan. Remember, temper!" Hayashi lectured.

A pulsing vein formed on Deidara's right temple. He grabbed the edge of the table with his hands, and his knuckles turned white. "Why you…!"

"Hey blond boy! We don't serve people without common courtesy. You're disturbing my customers! Get out before I make you." The shop owner yelled.

"You heard her, Dei-chan. Get out before she makes you." Hayashi said.

"As if you could take her!" Tomeo added.

Deidara was standing on a very thin line. He could either stay, and make a scene, or leave with his already destroyed ego intact. He chose the latter, and stormed out of the restaurant, forgetting to pay for his meal. Zuki passively stopped him at the door, "Excuse me sir, b-but you have to p-pay for your food." Deidara didn't give her a glance as he opened the restaurant door and slammed it shut, cracking the glass in the process. The two boys just stared in amusement.

"He does have a very bad temper, doesn't he, Hayashi?" Tomeo commented. Hayashi nodded.

"Yes, he does, my friend."

Tomeo laughed, "Hey, how long do you think it will take him to realize that we took his wallet?"

"I'm guessing about an hour." Hayashi replied, showing Tomeo the small black case in his hand.

The two boys snickered, but little did they know of the presence of an eavesdropper in the booth next to them. That said eavesdropper stood up and faced the boys in the booth. "I'm sorry to raid on your conversation, you two, but I couldn't help but overhear that you took that boy's wallet." The woman said.

"Sorry, lady, but we don't talk to strangers." Tomeo replied.

"Get lost, old hag."

"Old hag, huh?"

About five minutes later, Aura walked out of the restaurant with a wallet in her left hand, a smile on her face, and two boys in the restaurant beaten to a pulp. "That ought to teach them some manners."

* * *

It was noon, and the annual parade to kick off the Iwa's festival was about to begin. I was dressed in a dark blue leotard, tights, and blue ballet flats. Even though I was a trapeze performer, I still had a decent knowledge of ballet and jazz from my previous days of hard-core training. I gave myself one last check in the mirror, and walked out my hotel room door.

Aura was the first to greet me in the hotel lobby. She was dressed in a matching blue leotard. She ran up to me and grabbed my arm. "Satomi, I have the weirdest story to tell you! You know that guy that you punched in the marketplace?" I nodded. "Well, he was eating in the same shop as me. I didn't know at first, but when two of 'friends' walked in and started talking about the incident I knew it had to be him." I was listening intently to her story.

"So, what happened?" I asked.

"The two boys, named Tomeo and Hayashi I think, started harassing him and teasing him about it. Apparently, he was pretty upset, because he slammed the door when the shop owner kicked him out. He ended up cracking the glass."

"He was that mad about it!" I didn't think that it was that bad. Sure, it probably was a huge blow to his ego, but still…

"I don't think it was the incident that bothered him the most. I think it was more so their teasing. They called him 'Dei-chan,' said he was gay, and made fun of his ninja abilities. I kind of feel bad for the guy." seemed to sense my distress. "The good news is that I beat the bullies to a pulp, and took back his wallet. Now all we got to do is find him. This was you can apologize."

"Wait, since when did I have to apologize?"

"Since now," Aura snapped. "You owe him an apology regardless if he was a jerk or not." I grimaced, Aura did have a point. I just hope we _did _find him. For all we know, he hated festivals and parades. This would a great time to test my luck.

"_**What about looking for his chakra signature?"**_

"_What?"_

"_**We've been around him, and we know what his chakra feels like. All we have to do is trace his signature until we find him." **_Thank heavens I had Kou backing me up!

"_Do you think you can search for his signature while I'm performing in the parade? Then if you sense him, tell me and I'll take care of the rest."_

"_**Sounds like a plan."**_Now all we had to do was put it into action.

* * *

I was walking down the streets of the market place. I pushed my way through the crowd, not caring what anybody thought of my rudeness. I was not in the mood to speak with anyone right now. Not only had Tomeo and Hayashi literally destroy my self confidence, they embarrassed me in front of every fucking customer in that restaurant AND took my wallet! I had four thousand yen in that wallet **(AN: a little under fifty U.S. dollars)**! Now how the hell was I suppose to pay for my lunch…or dinner! I swear I'm going to pound those two into oblivion! When I get my hand on them I'll…!

Music? As the melody came closer, I knew that's what it was. It suddenly occurred to me that was why the markets were so crowded. Everyone here was here to see the parade. I was never a big one for festivities, but something pulled me toward the front of the crowd. It wasn't forced; it was nagging me on to migrate toward the parade. It was begging for me to stay. It was _asking _for me to stay.

I slowly made my way to the front of the crowd, where I could see the vast majority of floats and performers. Iwa's Kage was sitting on a fancy chair atop a float, surrounded by a balloon arch. The next feature of the parade was a gigantic blown up tiger, symbolizing the Year of the Tiger from the Zodiac. A large variety of others past me by before I could fully hear the music. A float coming up was playing a classic dance beat, only acceptable at Iwa's parade, since this music belonged to a traditional Iwa dance.

"Hey, Dei-chan!" Oh, hell no! "Excited to see us?" Tomeo screamed from across the other side of the market place. With him were none other than Hayashi, Megumi-chan, and a full posy of stuck-up teenagers. What I would do to just show them that I wasn't a joke, kick their asses, and win Megumi-chan over…

* * *

The Kage had assured me that every male in this village had been taught to dance Iwa's classical step dance. It was normally danced to a traditional band of drums and tambourines, and a large group of people clapping in sync. It had fast feet movements, occasional spins and leg flares, and possibly more complicated moves if the dancer was experienced enough. I was perfectly capable of doing a majority of the moves, but what got me nervous was that _I _had to ask a _guy _to dance. It was tradition for the girl to dance in front of the man she had chosen for a few seconds, and then meet his gaze; she'd bow and offer her hand. If the man accepted, he would return the bow and take her hand in his. They would dance the step dance, and then would bow in the end. I just hope I wouldn't mess up!

"_Hey, Kou, any sign of the blond?"_

"_**I can feel his chakra signature approaching. He's here, at the parade."**_

"_How much farther is he?"_

"_**That I don't know, but it's getting stronger, so we're heading the right direction."**_

"_Keep sensing for his chakra, Kou."_

"_**Will, do."**_

I continued to search the crowd for the blond, blue-eyed wonder, otherwise known as Deidara. Aura had told me that a bright bruise had formed where I had hit him the day before. The idea of apologizing I didn't like, since I wasn't really sorry for anything. The kid deserved it in my eyes, but it was partly my fault for getting him into this mess, and making his already miserable life even worse. So in some sense, I did feel guilty. If there was anything I could do to make his life easier, then I was going to try. For the record, it was my conscious talking there…

"_**There!" **_

"Where?" I asked looking around. I finally spotted him to my left about thirty feet ahead; he was focusing in on something across from him. It was then I noticed the glare he was giving a group of teenagers across the street, which included two familiar looking boys that Aura had described earlier. It probably was Kami's work, but I set that thought aside as a creative little plot folded itself inside my mind. "Hey, Aura!" She looked my way. "Let's get dancing! Shall we?"

* * *

It happened so quickly. One minute I was glaring at Tomeo and Hayashi, and then the next minute this girl was in front of me and up close and _very_ personal. She danced circles around me on her tiptoes, occasionally touching my shoulders and arms; she gave me a flirtatious eye as she came around back to my front, making sure I was giving her my full attention. She did a graceful spin on one foot; her arms and shoulders were placed perfectly with poise as she danced a few ballet movements. I was memorized by her, and her eyes never left mine. She then slowly came to a halt in front of me, her arms hanging loosely, but confidently, at her sides. I raised an eyebrow, and she smiled. I blinked when she bowed, asking me to dance with her. Should I say yes? One look over at Hayashi and Tomeo was all I needed. They were drooling…the girl _was_ really pretty. I smirked, slowly copied her movements, and grabbed her hand in my own.

She led me out into the parade.

We danced in quick circles, me leading and her following. I spun her outward away from myself, and she did a leg flare, which got the crowd going. Their cheers and steady clapping to the drums heightened the tempo to its max, and I suddenly found myself spinning her faster. The music slowly died away as I found myself being captured by her movement. I didn't give Tomeo and Hayashi a single glance. I didn't notice them and Megumi-chan staring with their mouths agape. I didn't notice anything. The only thing I did notice was her—her smile, her hair, and her deep sapphire eyes. Whatever she was doing to me I didn't care, for she made me feel special for the first time in a very, very long time.

I swung her back in and picked her off the ground into a lift in one swift movement, catapulting her a few feet away. In the few moments that it took for her to regain her balance I took in the rest of her appearance. Her hair almost identically matched her eyes, being a deep blue. She was petite and short, but had just the right amount of muscle. If it wasn't for the makeup, she would look just like…wait a sec?

The music died down and we both gave each other a stare, mine more so a glare. "Who the hell do you think you are?" I spat.

Her reply was intimate, "You lost something, didn't you?" She finally said. We'd been starting at each other for a good thirty seconds. Before I could speak again, she presented me with a small black wallet—more specifically, _my _wallet. I simply stared. How in the world did she get a hold of my wallet? She must have sensed my hesitation because she took a step forward and placed the wallet in my right hand. "I believe that is yours. Is it not?" She asked again. I quickly shift my gaze from her face to the thing in my hand. I opened it, and inside I found the four thousand yen I had complained about losing earlier. "I still owe you, don't I? For giving you…that…" I looked back up at her. She was pointing at the bruised cheek and jaw on my face. She looked rather uncomfortable when addressing the shiner she had given me the day before. I don't know what she was talking about when she said she "owed" me, but I could think of a few things that she could do…starting with her being my new voluntary punching bag for the next week!

"What do you mean?" I asked with a straight face. She avoided eye contact with me for the next few seconds. "Well?"

* * *

Shit. How _was _I going to apologize? I didn't have any miracle pills or pixy dust that could grant him wishes. Why couldn't he just be happy with me giving him back his wallet!

"Well?" He repeated. I kept trying to focus on other things; anything other than his face.

"_Think, Satomi, think! Money? No. Back rub? NO! Sex? BIG NO!!!!! Haircut? Maybe…but he'd probably kill himself before he would let me touch his hair…" _ I wasn't coming up with any brilliant ideas…I guess I'd have to move on to Plan B.

Deidara was getting impatient. His arms were crossed and his foot was tapping. I met his gaze for the first time in what felt like hours and did exactly what Aura had told me to do—kiss and run.

Of course, I wasn't in _that _much of a rush, and the blond seemed to be enjoying the attention. I noticed his body relax as his hands reached for my waist. My arms made their way around his neck and I pulled him closer. Neither of us bothered to take it to the next level, for I parted slowly and met his lustful gaze a few seconds later. His eyes were half-closed in confusion and need. I could just tell it was his first kiss. Score! It surprised me when he slowly leaned back in and kissed me once more. This one was more passionate and deep. I responded, but only for a few seconds. I had to cut it off before he ended up giving me a full make out session in front of everyone, much to my dismay. I pushed him back slightly, and he stopped.

He separated his lips from mine tenderly; he looked at me again, and I smiled and kissed the bruise on his cheek. "I'm sorry about that. Hope my apology was good enough for you…" I smirked, and then headed off in the direction of my float. Aura was _so _going to give me another lecture later. However, as I ran, I kept moving my tongue over my lips, tasting him after the incident. After all, I didn't want to forget the stealer of my first kiss either, now would I?

* * *

I'm not going to lie, I did not expect that! I didn't have time to react as her lips crashed against mine. At first I wanted to push her away, but then I realized that I _liked _the feeling of her lips on mine. It was different from anything I had ever experienced in my life before. It wasn't harsh or painful; it was soft and sweet, like walking on a cloud. I felt myself getting dizzy, but it only heightened the moment. She pulled away a moment later, but I kissed her again. I didn't want to let this go. Screw Hayashi and Tomeo, what have I been missing? This makes up for their teasing, and having them watch makes this victory just the more sweet.

She was more direct with her actions this time, and I had to let her go. With one last kiss on the cheek, she ran off, leaving me memorized. I looked over at Tomeo and Hayashi, and realized they were staring_. _Their mouths were touching the ground and a nosebleed complimented their already erotic faces. They were jealous, very jealous. I smirked, "Who's gay now? Rub those nosebleeds off your faces. I know I'm hot, but it's rude to stare, yeah." I left before either of them could utter a single word.

* * *

After the parade, I was given a lecture by Aura about kissing a man in public. I ignored her, and focused on the portrait I was currently drawing. It was a picture of none other than the stealer of my first kiss. He was smirking, and the black and blue was absent from his otherwise perfect face. I realized afterwards that he wasn't that bad of a guy, and maybe sometime in the near future, I'd ask him out on a date...

….maybe.

"_**Satomi, you're in love."**_

I found myself smirking, _"_There's a first time for everything, Kou."

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**YES! I actually updated during ACT week! It's a miracle! Thank you ****potatoes18**** and ****werewolfwithaheart**** for reviewing the last chapter. I'm hoping I did not disappoint. Please review. Oh, one last thing. I STILL NEED A BETA READER!!!!! Thanks. Adios. Asta lavista baby! =]**


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